20. Distribution of War Booty
٢٠۔ كتاب الخراج والإمارة والفىء
When I entered upon Mu'awiyah, he said: How good your visit is to us, O father of so-and-so. (This is an idiom used by the Arabs on such occasions). I said: I tell you a tradition which I heard (from the Prophet). I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: If Allah puts anyone in the position of authority over the affairs of the Muslims, and he secludes himself (from them), not fulfilling their needs, wants, and poverty, Allah will keep Himself away from him, not fulfilling his need, want and poverty. He said: He (Mu'awiyah) appointed a man to fulfil the needs of the people.
مَا أَنْعَمَنَا بِكَ أَبَا فُلاَنٍ وَهِيَ كَلِمَةٌ تَقُولُهَا الْعَرَبُ فَقُلْتُ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ أُخْبِرُكَ بِهِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ وَلاَّهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ شَيْئًا مِنْ أَمْرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَاحْتَجَبَ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِمْ وَخَلَّتِهِمْ وَفَقْرِهِمُ احْتَجَبَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ دُونَ حَاجَتِهِ وَخَلَّتِهِ وَفَقْرِهِ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ رَجُلاً عَلَى حَوَائِجِ النَّاسِ
The Prophet ﷺ said: It is not on my own that I give you or withhold from you: I am just a treasure, putting it where I have been commanded.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا أُوتِيكُمْ مِنْ شَىْءٍ وَمَا أَمْنَعُكُمُوهُ إِنْ أَنَا إِلاَّ خَازِنٌ أَضَعُ حَيْثُ أُمِرْتُ
Malik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadthan said: One day Umar ibn al-Khattab mentioned the spoils of war and said: I am not more entitled to this spoil of war than you; and none of us is more entitled to it than another, except that we occupy our positions fixed by the Book of Allah, Who is Great and Glorious, and the division made by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, people being arranged according to their precedence in accepting Islam, the hardship they have endured their having children and their need.
مَا أَنَا بِأَحَقَّ بِهَذَا الْفَىْءِ مِنْكُمْ وَمَا أَحَدٌ مِنَّا بِأَحَقَّ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ أَنَّا عَلَى مَنَازِلِنَا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ ﷻ وَقَسْمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَالرَّجُلُ وَقِدَمُهُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَبَلاَؤُهُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَعِيَالُهُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَحَاجَتُهُ